The Netmedia Blog

Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions for 2017? If not, we have some tech resolutions that you should make this year. Resolve to take care of your digital lives by protecting yourself from hackers and backing up your precious photos, videos, and documents.

Passwords.Yahoo told us in 2016 that more than 1.5 billion of its users had seen their accounts comprised. The presidential election was influenced by Russian hackers, according to the government. And you think it's OK to continue using a password from a few years ago?

2017 is the perfect time to get with the program: change your passwords, as painful as you might think it be, every three months, with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols, long words (iloveusatodayeverydaybecauseofthesportsmoneylifenewsandtechsections) or two-step verification, which won't let you sign in without typing in a newly generated text.

You can write down all the new passwords on paper and hide it somewhere in your house (not in an e-mail, please) or use a password manager to keep track of them for you. The managers also can generate the new passwords for you.

Dashlane, 1password, Lastpass and Logmeonce are all popular and start at free. But you can expect to spend about $35 to $40 a year to subscribe and have access to them across multiple devices.

How they work: password managers are browser extensions for the computer and smartphone apps that will store your various passwords and log you in when you visit a site.

To access the passwords, you instead are asked to first type in one master password for the application. The master pass is stored on the device it’s created on, like your computer, and then synced to the cloud with encryption, so the password manager companies don’t have access to the original.

Backup.If you're like me, you probably shoot many, many photos on your smartphone every month and generate new documents on your computer as well. How's your backup going?

In 2016, we saw Mother Nature's annual array of fires, earthquakes, floods and the like, and watched news reports of people losing their homes, often saying the only thing they cared about were their photos.

That said, back-up has never been easier. All you need is $50 to $100 for an external hard drive that will have ten times the storage of what we had five years ago (1 terabyte and up) or time to upload your photos and documents to an array of online solutions.

Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Apple's iCloud, Amazon and Dropbox all offer online backup that is the safest, most secure option out there. Who's more likely to lose data and have a hard drive fail, you or Google?

I back up all my photos and videos on Google Photos, and write all my documents in Google Drive, which is free, and unlike Microsoft Word, I can access files from multiple devices, anywhere, without having to pay software fees.

Digitize.For those of you from the analog era, with your shoe boxes of photos and shelves of 8mm and VHS videotapes, let's get them saved to digital in 2017, okay?

For one, they'll be safe, and secondly, now you can share them on Facebook, Twitter and privately. I like the services iMemories (50 cents per image, $12.99 per video, and/or $49.99 yearly to have stored on its website for sharing) and Scanmyphotos.com ($149 for a box holding up to 1,800 photos, and $19.99 per video) for getting the entire collection done in one full swoop.)

A cool new alternative came from Google in 2016 for small-scale scanning. The free PhotoScan app promises to get better scans than you were getting from your smartphone camera, minus some of the glare. Google enables this by taking four shots of the same image, and using software to erase the glare.

The app is great for visiting friends or relatives with a wall of photos that you'd like to get hold of. (You know, the best scanner is the one that's in your pocket,) but I wouldn't want to spend New Year's Day scanning hundreds of photos this way. That said, if I was broke and couldn't afford the other methods, it beats the alternative--not having the photos.

Netmedia Solutions is a full-service IT consulting firm specializing in small business support, located in the Greater Philadelphia area.

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In conjunction with the recent release of the brand new iPhone 7, Apple introduced iOS 10, one of the most significant iOS updates in years. On the surface, everything looks similar to the previous version but there are a ton of new features. There are various privacy and security features included but that doesn’t mean that iOS 10 can’t leak information. These tips will help protect your personal information:

1.Encrypt your iPhone. Your iPhone or iPad is encrypted by default. But it’s only encrypted if you protect it with a PIN, password, or fingerprint. Head to Settings, Touch ID & Passcode and set up your passwords and fingerprints. An unlocked iPhone would let a malicious individual with intimate knowledge of the iPhone to steal credit card data, Safari passwords, pictures, and other valuable data you might hold on your phone.

2.Enable Find My iPhone. If it’s not enabled, Find My iPhone must be turned on (under Settings, iCloud) so that you can attempt retrieving a lost or stolen device. Enable Send Last Location so that the iPhone sends the last known location of the iPhone to Apple when the battery is critically low. You can keep it off if you usually run out of battery.

3.Use 2-Factor Authentication. Your Apple ID is a vital piece of information that hackers try to steal. You can secure it with 2-factor authentication over at Apple.com, and you should do it to make sure your wallet and data are both protected. A hacker could steal data information from your backups and purchase items on your behalf after gaining Apple ID access.

4.Limit Lockscreen Data Leaks. One of the big changes in iOS 10 concerns the lock screen. It can deliver more information than ever, and a sneak peek at it is enough for someone to glance useful information about your day. A malicious person could read personal information from notifications (including messages and mail) and widgets that are set up on the screen. You can limit access to certain features of the lock screen by going to Settings, Touch ID & Passcode and disabling them one by one. The list includes Today View, Notification View, Siri, Reply with Message, Home Control, and Wallet.

5.Stop Third-Parties from Tracking You Via Ads. Go to the Settings app, then Privacy and then Advertising (at the very bottom of the page). Enable Limit Ad Tracking, and then tap on Reset Advertising Identifier.

Taking a few minutes to review your privacy and security settings can ensure that your information remains secure.

Netmedia Solutions is a full-service IT consulting firm specializing in small business support, located in the Greater Philadelphia area. For more information about its services, call (267) 646-1100 or email

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You've heard the advice: Don't download or run software you're unsure of. Here's a quick review of the warning signs to stop you from taking unnecessary risks

Most people’s computers get exploited in only a handful of ways. Among the most popular methods is tricking people into downloading and running Trojans. Often, unsuspecting users get socially engineered into running a malicious file or app by following a link in email or visiting a website.

It can be tough to spot the fake stuff, so here's what you should watch for.

1. Emails with links to suspicious downloads

Yes, you can be sent legitimate info in emails, but 99 percent of it is either garbage or malicious. Due to antispam measures, most vendors now use methods other than email to advertise and spread their software. You know better. Don't fall for this.

2. Promos for antimalware software, disk cleaners, and optimizers

Find out what your antivirus program looks like when it's scanning for malware, so when you see the fake one, you’ll know the difference. In general, real antivirus programs will not pop up when you visit a website -- then begin scanning your computer and claiming you’re infected with dozens of viruses. Real antivirus software pops up and tells you it has blocked one malware program. The fake stuff usually also wants to scan your whole computer.

Malware writers also like to hide their rogue creations in fake disk compressors and optimizer programs. Don’t install computer optimization programs. Most of them, including the real stuff, are junk.

3. Websites that ask you to install software

It's the rare website that asks you to install an app or a plugin to enjoy its content. Most often the site has either been created or modified by hackers to trick you into installing software. Want to stay uninfected? Don’t install software from websites unless you're 100 percent sure the software is needed and is a legitimate product.

This includes Java, Adobe Acrobat, and Flash. Be especially suspicious if you know you’ve already installed what is ostensibly required -- and absolutely reject the install if the link doesn’t point to the legitimate vendor’s website. Legitimate vendors do not let other websites install their software. (The exceptions are legitimate proxy sites such as Download.com.)

4. The program you downloaded doesn't do what it said it would

Let's say you've followed a request to download and run software so that you can view an “encrypted” file. But after doing so, you can’t read the purported (bait) document. Or you downloaded an app that was supposed to speed up your computer, but it doesn't work. Some Trojan horse programs follow through with the promised action, but most don’t.

5. Your computer is much slower after installation

If you install a program and your computer runs much slower, you should suspect malware is at work, especially if the promised action fails to materialize. Sure, if you install a huge hunk of software, you can expect your computer to drop the pace a bit. But if you install a small program and your computer crawls like molasses, something is up.

6. Your antimalware tools have been disabled

Here's a huge warning sign: Your antimalware tools or firewall no longer work. Unless you downloaded and installed another antimalware product or personal firewall, the ones you are currently running should still be active. But many malicious programs start by disabling your current protection.

7. Task Manager does not start

Along the same lines, if you try to start Task Manager and it doesn't load, you probably have malware to blame. I’ve also seen Task Manager pop up for a second, then disappear. It's the same situation.

8. You can't uninstall the program

A legitimate program is required to include an uninstall option, but malware programs don’t like to be uninstalled. If the newly downloaded program doesn’t uninstall, look out. If it includes an option to uninstall, but doesn’t carry out the action, look out. Yes, uninstall routines sometimes get hosed and fail -- but usually not right away.

9. A funky end-user license agreement

Most people don’t read the end-user license agreement (EULA) before they install a program. I do -- and I’ve seen malicious acts spelled out in English. I’ve seen one EULA that claimed after the program was installed, my computer and data was its property and it reserved the right to disable any action I took to uninstall the program. That EULA certainly wouldn’t hold up in court, but at least it warned me.

What should you do?

When in doubt, chicken out and don’t install. Close the browser if you have to. If it's truly legitimate software that you need to access a website, go directly to the vendor’s website to download. For example, if you absolutely need Adobe Acrobat, open a new browser window, surf to adobe.com, and install it from there.

What if it's too late?

Fire up your antivirus scanner to see if it detects any abnormal activity. Better yet, if you have a Windows computer, use Microsoft’s free Process Explorer utility that runs all active executables against up to 57 antivirus engines.

Netmedia Solutions is a full-service IT consulting firm specializing in small business support, located in the Greater Philadelphia area. For more information about its services, call (267) 646-1100 or email

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Small business security threats remain in a constant state of flux. Old threats fade away as improved protective measures make them ineffective, and then new threats emerge to take advantage of the latest security gaps. We asked security experts to discuss the most current crop of threats that small business owners need to pay attention to in the coming year.

Business: Brace for Data Breaches

Information breaches have made big headlines in recent years, typically involving large retailers with equally large point-of-sale (POS) and data systems. But Chris Strand, senior director of compliance, IT governance, risk and security audit programs at security firm Carbon Black, says that small retailers need to protect themselves against increased risk of data breaches.

"There has been a shift from enterprise to small business in terms of exploits, and I think we can expect further headlines about critical information breaches as it pertains to POS systems," he says. With the volume of credit and debit card data increasing, small businesses may experience more headline-grabbing breaches in 2016.

Attack of the Rogue Process

Security solutions more readily thwart older threats, such as in-memory attacks, but new security threats just keep coming. John Prisco, CEO of endpoint security provider Triumfant, views rogue processes as an emerging threat. "That's where a trusted process provides a home for an untrusted process," he explains.

Rogue processes—essentially an invasion of a previously-safe environment—are relatively new security concerns and tougher to identify. Prisco says that not many security products can identify and find them. "We expect a shift toward that type of attack, because they're difficult for a small company to protect against."

More Mobile Malware

Tony Anscombe, senior security evangelist at AVG Technologies, an antivirus and Internet security provider, sees a big trend in "the increase in malware" infections by way of mobile devices. Mobile security is an especially important issue small businesses, who readily embrace a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) strategy for their employees.

That strategy that may be cost effective, but as mobile devices become repositories of company information, those devices significantly increase a company's vulnerability. "How you protect those devices becomes increasingly important, because they're holding company data," says Anscombe.

"We've already seen it migrate to very interesting areas like pay terminals for parking lots," he says. Similar to any other security attack, hackers go after big targets first, but when those are no longer viable—because security software and improved protocols slam the doors shut—thieves turn to the smaller businesses. "Now that the big targets have been exhausted, the attackers are going after smaller POS services," says Budd.

Strand points to the "continued use of unsupported POS operating systems" as a security concern that's spreading like wildfire. He names Windows XP as a prime example; many small businesses still rely on it even though Microsoft stopped supporting the OS back in April 2014.

Outdated operating systems don't receive support through security patches and other upgrades. "We're still discovering serious security gaps and vulnerabilities in these systems," Strand says. Hackers look for the low-hanging fruit, and those known small business POS vulnerabilities make a tantalizing target.

Internet of Things Creates New Security Concerns

The Internet of Things (IoT) continues its march into the world of small business. Anscombe envisions it growing in ways we haven't even grasped yet, adding that from coffee machines to light bulbs, it seems nearly everything is connected these days.

"An eco-friendly business might, for example, buy light bulbs it can turn off through Wi-Fi," he explains. Each of those connections can potentially create an unauthorized entry point into the network. As small firms add greater numbers of connected things in 2016, Anscombe says, "They broaden the attack surface." That translates into increased risk unless companies institute better security measures for connected devices.

Is your business prepared for these possible threats? Netmedia Solutions can help! Our backup and prevention services can protect you from the myriad of issues that can jeopardize your critical files, with practical and reasonably priced solutions.

Netmedia Solutions is a full-service IT consulting firm specializing in small business support, located in the Greater Philadelphia area. For more information about its services, call (267) 646-1100 or email

This year, February 9th marks Safer Internet Day in the United States. It is a day designed to promote the efforts of Internet users of all ages, interests and backgrounds to make the Internet a better place and the world a better place with the help of the Internet.

As a company that helps protect other companies against information leaks, viruses, junk mail and spam on the Internet, we encourage you to review these tips from the National Cyber Security Alliance and protect your business while making the Internet a safer place!

1.Train your employees. Provide training to new employees on topics like keeping a clean machine, following good password practices, avoiding suspicious emails, backing up their work and staying watchful for threats.

2.Protect your customers. Keeping your customers safe requires your own computer systems to be fully protected. This can be accomplished by automating software updates, scanning all new devices, using a firewall and using spam filters.

3.Implement a cybersecurity plan. We recommend that businesses develop a strategic approach to cybersecurity. The strategic approach should include plans to secure existing systems and keep your business security going forward.

4.Monitor threats. Today’s businesses face several major online threats: spam, phishing, viruses and spyware. Being aware of these threats, monitoring for issues and putting plans in place to prevent them will help keep your business secure.

NetMedia Solutions can help review your current Internet safety measure to ensure your computer systems are protected from outside threats.

NetMedia Solutions is a full-service IT consulting firm specializing in small business support, located in the Greater Philadelphia area. For more information about its services, call (267) 646-1100 or email

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Let's face it, there's every reason in the world to shop online. The bargains are there. The selection is mind-boggling. The shopping is secure. Shipping is fast. Even returns are pretty easy, with the right e-tailers. Shopping has never been easier or more convenient for consumers.

But what about the bad guys who lay in wait? IID's Third Quarter eCrime Report for 2011 indicates that use of phishing attacks (where thieves attempt to swindle you out of your sign-in credentials and even credit card info by pretending to be a real website, or even an online bank) is down, as much as eight percent since the second quarter and 11 percent since the third quarter of last year. That's great news—except the same report says sites with malware (malicious code aimed at compromising your privacy) has increased by 89 percent since the second quarter.

Stay calm. While somewhat alarming, these stats should not keep you from shopping online. You simply need some common sense and practical advice. Follow these basic guidelines and you can shop online with confidence. Here are 11 tips for staying safe online, so you can start checking off items on that holiday shopping list.

1. Use Familiar Websites

Start at a trusted site rather than shopping with a search engine. Search results can be rigged to lead you astray, especially when you drift past the first few pages of links. If you know the site, chances are it's less likely to be a rip off. We all know Amazon.com and that it carries everything under the sun; likewise, just about every major retail outlet has an online store, from Target to Best Buy to Home Depot. Beware of misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain (.net instead of .com, for example)—those are the oldest tricks in the book. Yes, the sales on these sites might look enticing, but that's how they trick you into giving up your info.

2. Look for the Lock

Never ever, ever buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed—at the very least. You'll know if the site has SSL because the URL for the site will start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://). An icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your web browser, or right next to the URL in the address bar. It depends on your browser.

Never, ever give anyone your credit card over email. Ever.

3. Don't Tell All

No online shopping store needs your social security number or your birthday to do business. However, if crooks get them, combined with your credit card number for purchases, they can do a lot of damage. The more they know, the easier it is to steal your identity. When possible, default to giving up the least amount of information.

4. Check Statements

Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the month. Go online regularly during the holiday season and look at electronic statements for your credit card, debit card, and checking accounts. Make sure you don't see any fraudulent charges, even originating from sites like PayPal. (After all, there's more than one way to get to your money.)

If you do see something wrong, pick up the phone to address the matter quickly. In the case of credit cards, pay the bill only once you know all your charges are accurate. You have 30 days to notify the bank or card issuer of problems, however; after that, you might be liable for the charges anyway.

5. Inoculate Your PC

Swindlers don't just sit around waiting for you to give them data; sometimes they give you a little something extra to help things along. You need to protect against malware with regular updates to your anti-virus program.

6. Use Strong Passwords

We like to beat this dead horse about making sure to utilize uncrackable passwords, but it's never more important than when banking and shopping online.

7. Think Mobile

The National Retail Federation says that 5.7 percent of adults will use their mobile devices to do comparison shopping before making a purchase. (And 32.1 percent will comparison shop online with a computer, as well.) There's no real need to be any more nervous about shopping on a mobile device than online. The trick is to use apps provided directly by the retailers, like Amazon, Target, etc. Use the apps to find what you want and then make the purchase directly, without going to the store or the website.

8. Avoid Public Terminals

Hopefully we don't have to tell you it's a bad idea to use a public computer to make purchases, but we still will. If you do, just remember to log out every time you use a public terminal, even if you were just checking email.

What about using your own laptop to shop while you're out? It's one thing to hand over a credit card to get swiped at the checkout, but when you must enter the number and expiration date on a website while sitting in a public cafe, you're giving an over-the-shoulder snooper plenty of time to see the goods. At the very least, think like a gangster: Sit in the back, facing the door.

9. Privatize Your Wi-Fi

If you do decide to go out with the laptop to shop, you'll need a Wi-Fi connection. Only use the wireless if you access the Web over a virtual private network (VPN) connection.

By the way, now is not a good time to try out a hotspot you're unfamiliar with. Stick to known networks, even if they're free, like those found at Starbucks or Barnes & Noble stores that is powered by AT&T. Look for the network named "attwifi," then open a browser to click into the "walled garden" to get final access. You can also find free Wi-Fi at McDonalds, Panera Bread, and FedEx Office locations, not to mention libraries and local cafes.

10. Count the Cards

Gift cards are the most requested holiday gift every year, and this year will be no exception. Stick to the source when you buy one; scammers like to auction off gift cards on sites like eBay with little or no funds on them.

11. Know What's Too Good to Be True

The "coupon scam" offers a free product with purchase, in particular an iPad (a very coveted gadget at any holiday) or even holiday job offers. Many of these "offers" will come in via social media. Beware even of your friends, who might innocently forward such a thing. Be very wary even if you get a message from friend claiming he or she has been robbed, especially a friend overseas looking for money to be wire transferred, unless you absolutely can confirm it by talking to him or her personally. Skepticism in most cases can go a long way toward saving you from a stolen card number.

Netmedia Solutions is a full-service IT consulting firm specializing in small business support, located in the Greater Philadelphia area. For more information about its services, call (267) 646-1100 or email

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In today’s society, we are never far from an electronic device. From laptops to smart phones to e-readers, electronic devices are a major part of our everyday lives.

However, as electronic device usage has increased, so have dangers like viruses, malware and cyber criminals. Protecting your electronic devices is essential to prevent your financial and personal information from being stolen or compromised.

The first step to protecting your devices is to understand the common security threats. These include:

Trends in business tend to change often and quickly, but one trend that can’t be ignored is the move towards the cloud. Put simply, more and more businesses are adopting cloud-based storage and software solutions with each passing year. In fact, it is estimated that by 2015 spending on cloud storage solutions could reach $180 billion. Suffice it to say, a decentralized approach seems to be the golden ticket these days.

The question, then, isn’t whether cloud-based systems will catch on – as the numbers show, they already have – but rather why are cloud-based solutions becoming the go-to for businesses large and small? And, should you be a business owner yourself, are cloud-based storage solutions right for your organization? In short, there are many reasons why companies should utilize the cloud, and yes, that includes your business. Let’s take a look at why that is the case.

There are numerous benefits to adopting a cloud-based solution. Chief among them, however, are the following:

1. Security

One of the most attractive things to business owners about cloud solutions is that they are decentralized; the odds of data being compromised, corrupted, lost or manipulated in some form due to power outage, theft, hacking or other means is greatly reduced. Cloud storage solutions are so-named because information is spread out among a vast network of servers and hard drives – there is no central location where all of your information is stored and prone to attack. Of course, providers of cloud-based storage also maintain their own security measures to safeguard against such contingencies. Though there’s no such thing as a flawless security solution when it comes to digital, you can greatly reduce your risk with the cloud.

2. Cost Savings

In most cases, cloud-based solutions allow businesses to save substantially on IT costs, as much of the responsibility of an IT team – maintaining data, upgrading systems, looking after hardware, etc. — is offset to a third party (in this case, the provider of the storage solution being sought). As payroll tends to be one of the most expensive outlays for any business, and costs related to information technology can quickly spiral out of control when all facets are taken into account, it’s easy to see why businesses would be interested in outsourcing data storage, software upgrades, archiving and retrieval, and other related needs.

3. Flexibility

The cloud helps to streamline business practices by giving business owners increased flexibility. By enabling information retrieval across multiple devices, such as business cell phones, tablets and laptops, cloud-based storage allows for quick, easy and universal access to documents and information – perfect for the business person on the go. An employee no longer has to be in the office to have access to important and relevant business documents, and the size of his or her device (or more accurately, the storage capacity of the device) is no longer a factor in what documents can be accessed while away from the office. The cloud puts relevant information at an employee’s fingertips, regardless of where they are – that is flexibility.

4. Low Maintenance

Storing data in the cloud means no IT team, no servers, no hard drives, no software updates … you get the point. To use an old-school analogy, the cloud is akin to taking all of those four-bin metal filing cabinets that used to be strewn about offices and hiring an outside contractor to store them in some remote warehouse somewhere: out of sight, out of mind, yet still there if you need it. The cloud, quite simply, is just a much easier, cleaner, more convenient way of doing things – why store data on your machines when you can store it on someone else’s?

5. Sustainability

Believe it or not, utilizing the cloud isn’t just a good idea because it makes using business cell phones easier – it can actually help the environment, too. Research conducted by scientists at Harvard University, in conjunction with teams at Reading University and Imperial College, found that 80 percent adoption of cloud-based email, storage and software solutions in Europe, Brazil, China, Canada and Indonesia alone could reduce energy consumption by 11.2 terawatt-hours annually – or 25 percent of the total amount of energy used by the city of London in a year – and abate 4.5 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. That’s no small feat, considering this savings is achieved merely through the adoption of cloud-based solutions over centralized, local ones.

The end of the year can be a stressful time for any business. Taking the time out for even one more project can seem like an impossible task. However, there is one project you should find time for: an audit of your company’s network.

Network auditing is a must for any organization, regardless of size or industry. Networks evolve, shrink, and change continuously. New devices, hardware, and software can be added to your company network every day, without your knowledge, and have a serious impact on your network security. Your data is critical to your business, and it is important to do everything possible to protect it.

There are thousands of ways that your network can be compromised but some of the most common include:

Firewall that is not properly configured.

No firewall at all.

Unsecure wireless networks.

Less secure email services.

Anti-virus software that is not managed properly.

Non-secure mobile devises on the network.

Performing a year-end network audit can help identify these issues. In addition, there are many other important benefits to consider:

A network audit can seem like a rather large task but, with the right tools and approach, it can be an easy to perform and critical undertaking. If your business can’t find the time to perform a network audit at least once a year, Netmedia Solutions can help! Call us today to learn more about the services we offer.

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The Netmedia Blog is centered around tips, tricks, and tutorials to help simplify everyday tasks. Please feel free to contact us if you have any comments or any questions regarding any of our blog posts.